BOSTON – Two buildings in Rhode Island – Raymour & Flanagan Furniture in East Greenwich and Pocasset Bay Manor in Johnston – were judged some of the best in New England in the National Energy Star Building Competition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced.

A total of 324 New England facilities entered the annual competition, including 173 from Connecticut, 76 from Massachusetts, 23 from Rhode Island, 20 from Maine, 17 from Vermont and 15 from New Hampshire.

The top competitors were chosen by percentage of energy use reduced and amount of cost savings over the 2012 calendar year. Competitors tracked their building’s monthly energy consumption using the EPA’s online energy tracking tool, and energy use reductions for each top finisher were verified by an independently licensed professional.

“We applaud the sound energy management and innovation shown by these companies and institutions in their efforts to reduce operating costs and energy demand,” Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office, said in prepared remarks. “Improving energy efficiency is one of the most effective ways to save money while reducing emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases.”

Regionally, Webster Bank’s facility in Darien, Conn., led all New England buildings by reducing its energy use by 26.2 percent. The 2012 national winner was Demarest Elementary School in Bloomfield, N.J., which reduced its energy use by more than 52 percent and cut its utility bills by more than $75,800.

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